The head of BMW's high-performance M division indicates that manual gearboxes are steadily losing ground amidst increasingly unfavorable market and technical factors. Speaking to Australian media, Frank Van Meel, CEO of the BMW M high-performance division, stated that the company would continue to offer manual transmissions for the next few years but admitted the long-term outlook is bleak. He noted that in the coming decade, further developing and maintaining this type of gearbox would become more challenging.

According to BMW, the primary obstacle lies in technical limitations. As high-performance vehicles grow more powerful, their powertrains must handle higher loads. However, the company's 6-speed manual gearbox can only accommodate around 600 Nm of torque. This constraint limits its application, making it unsuitable for higher-performance variants, such as the CS series, unless BMW opts to develop an entirely new gearbox. Such research and production costs would be challenging to recoup given the declining market demand, while suppliers are also becoming less interested in this product type.

In fact, BMW currently offers manual transmissions on only 4 models: the M2, M3, M4, and Z4. Despite this, customer demand persists, particularly in some markets like the US, where a notable percentage of customers still choose manual transmissions for certain M series. However, these numbers are insufficient to persuade the company to invest long-term, especially as automatic transmissions are increasingly superior in operational efficiency and fuel consumption.

BMW M2 2025. Photo: Car and Driver

Experts suggest that manual transmissions on BMW M models could disappear before 2030, as the company accelerates its shift towards electrified and automated powertrains. The BMW M product portfolio is also undergoing major changes, with plans to launch many new models, including hybrids and pure electric vehicles, reflecting the global automotive trend.

Nevertheless, BMW has no immediate plans to phase out manual transmissions. According to Van Meel, the emotional appeal and driving experience still keep many customers loyal to this type of gearbox, which is why the company will endeavor to maintain them "as long as possible".

Ho Tan (via Car and Driver)